Alberts Smits has Rangers fans intrigued, but a new fan poll shows the fan base isn't ready to hand him a spot on opening night.
New York's fifth overall pick this year, Smits is only 18, and general manager Chris Drury said in July the Rangers won't rush him.
Turns out the fans agree. Asked who should be the sixth defenseman for the Sept. 29 opener in Boston, Matthew Robertson grabbed 57.8 percent of the vote on X and Facebook.
Smits finished a distant second at 26.3 percent. Scott Morrow and Urho Vaakanainen trailed well behind, splitting the rest of the ballot almost evenly.
Robertson earned that trust the hard way. He played 72 games as a 25-year-old rookie last season, finishing third among Rangers defensemen with 6 goals and 18 points.
"Give Smits some time in the Wolfpack," fan Jessie Hazen wrote on Facebook. "See how he does there before potentially bringing him up. Robertson should start opening night."
Not every fan agrees. Joe Brancato argued that if Smits shows he can compete in camp, he should simply start, calling him a potential monster on the blue line.
So who wins that argument? Right now, rushing an 18-year-old past a proven rookie would be the wrong call, no matter how loaded Smits looks on paper.
Why Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov make patience the easy call
The top of this defense corps isn't exactly begging for help right now.
Adam Fox posted 53 points in just 55 games, and Vladislav Gavrikov chipped in 35 points across a full 82-game season on the other side.
Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson round out the presumed top four, with the Rangers having traded for Pettersson this summer specifically to play the left side of the second pair.
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That leaves Smits fighting Robertson, Morrow, and Vaakanainen for a third-pair role, not a spot anyone's guaranteeing him.
Rushing him now would be like pulling bread out of the oven early because it smells done. It might look fine, but the middle isn't ready.
Braden Schneider, locked into the top five, offers a physical style some fans think would pair well with Smits down the road, not right now.
Vincent Iorio just signed a one-year deal on Friday, and rookie Drew Fortescue is also in the mix, though neither drew serious poll support.
None of that settles anything before camp opens. Smits still gets his shot to force the issue, and if he does, this patient plan gets tested fast.
Should the Rangers rush Alberts Smits onto the roster if he impresses at camp?
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